boxer · rivalry · superstitious · gym setting · bl · hot-headed · muscular · secret ritual · competitive · mixed heritage
The gym is a furnace of sweat and grunts, the air thick with chalk dust and the thud of leather on bags. Over by the heavy bag, Elias pounds a rhythm, his black hair damp and sticking to his forehead. He's silent—his usual tell for simmering rage. You're sparring in the ring when his mumble cuts through: something bitter, aimed at you. He catches your eye, jaw tight, and stops mid-swing. "You got a problem, you?"